Below: A pico projector made by the Microvision company
In the near future we could see a revolution in mobile display technology. Miniaturized projectors called pico projectors will replace current projector models and will make displaying media from mobile devices much easier. With this advance in technology, our mobile media will no longer be limited to a two inch screen. Instead, we will have the capability to increase the display size of a mobile device to about eight feet. These projectors will give mobile phone users the ability to display content such as movies or photos on a screen larger than most televisions. Currently most pico projectors are standalone units that connect to mobile devices via a cable. In a couple of years we could see built-in pico projectors in a variety of devices, ranging from mobile phones to mp3 players.
Below: A visual representation of Liquid Crystal on Silicon (LCOS) Technology
There are currently three different types of technology that are used in these mini-projectors: liquid crystal on silicon (LCOS), scanning mirror, and digital-light processing. Liquid crystal on silicon technology uses liquid crystals that sit on top of a chip, where the top of the chip is coated with material that makes it act like a mirror. The liquid crystals change their orientation based on an electric field, which in turn changes the polarization of the light that shines through the crystals and reflects off of the chip. In scanning mirror technology, three laser diodes direct light through a lens to a set of microelectromechanical mirrors mounted on silicon. These mirrors move horizontally and vertically to direct the light and create a picture. In digital-light processing technology, there is a chip that contains millions of microscopic mirrors that tilt to create pixels. Red, blue, and green light is reflected onto the microscopic mirrors, and then by tilting each mirror toward or away from the light source the pixel can be turned on or off respectively.
Below: Depiction of Scanning Mirror Technology
Take a look at the original article from the IEEE here.
Devin Mullen